The present invention generally relates to architectural lighting fixtures; it more particularly relates to reflector systems for lighting fixtures and the hardware used for mounting reflectors in a fixture housing. The invention has specific application in the field of linear lighting wherein elongated linear fixture elements of varying lengths have extruded aluminum housings that are subject to bending and twisting during installation. While the invention is particularly suited and is described herein in reference to linear indirect lighting fixtures, it shall be understood that the invention can also be used with linear fixture elements for direct lighting.
The fixture elements of a linear lighting system, be it a direct or indirect lighting system or a combination of both, are typically suspended from an overhead ceiling by means of suspension media such as flexible aircraft cable or rigid stems. During installation, each fixture is normally held at its extreme ends while installers attach the suspension media to connecting hardware in the fixture housing or while the fixture is attached to other suspended elements of the lighting system. Since fixture housings are typically fabricated of relatively flexible extruded aluminum, they can easily be twisted out of shape during this installation procedure. For long fixture lengths this twisting can be quite severe.
In older fixture designs, twisting of the housing during installation has not been a particular problem in that the deformed housing could be restored to its original undeformed condition by installers at the job site by applying a simple counter-twisting force to the fixture ends. However, restoration of the housing to its original shape cannot be readily achieved in certain newer reflector and lamp socket mounting configurations. The problem arises in the way the reflector in these newer configurations are mounted. In older designs, the reflectors are attached to the fixture's housing by means of socket saddles, which are relatively flexible bent metal parts which provide a stand-off for the reflector. In contrast, the approach of more recent fixture designs is to mount the reflector directly to the housing, thereby eliminating the need and extra cost of socket saddles. However, by eliminating socket saddles, the reflector now has greater direct contact with the fixture housing with the result that any distortion by twisting of the elongated housing will tend to cause a greater degree of deformation in the reflector than would be the case if socket saddle supports were used. Since the reflector and housing are typically fabricated of different metals, sheet steel in the case of the reflector and extruded aluminum in the case of the housing, and because steel is less flexible than aluminum, the consequence of deforming the reflector along with the housing is that the reflector will act to hold the housing in its deformed condition making it difficult to restore it to its original shape. The result often is that the fixtures, when installed, are permanently and noticeably twisted, detracting from their appearance. This problem is particularly noticeable in linear lighting systems which have long runs of linear elements designed to provide an attractive architectural feature to an interior space.
The present invention overcomes the problem of permanent deformation of a linear lighting fixture having a reflector assembly attached directly to the fixture's extruded aluminum housing. Using the present invention, a linear lighting fixture having such a reflector assembly can, when initially twisted during installation, be easily restored by a counter twisting force to its original shape.